Caracas, Venezuela - Venezuelan Olympic weightlifting silver medalist Julio Mayora has been using his talent to help lift concrete blocks and rescue victims of the recent earthquakes that devastated his country.

Mayora hails from La Guaira, the northern coastal Venezuelan state that was hit hardest by the June 24 double earthquakes, which measured magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale.

The powerful earthquakes killed over 6,000 people and reduced dozens of buildings to rubble – including people and places known to Mayora. As a result, he dedicated his two gold medals to the victims of the earthquakes.

"In truth it broke my heart, to see so many friends buried under the rubble, and it's something that I never thought I'd live through," Mayora told AFP.

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The day after the earthquakes, Mayora flexed his skills to carry beams, concrete blocks, and other debris from collapsed buildings.

"We were helping out, clearing the debris to help people. It was my turn to help, there are videos of me on social media helping all those people, saving lives," he said. He recalled seeing "people crying shouting, desperate" amid the crisis.

Mayora promised that his family would do everything they could to bring some joy back to La Guaira in the wake of the devastation.

"These two medals are for the state of La Guaira, with much love for them," he said.

The weightlifting champion, who scored a silver medal during the 2020 Tokyo Games, now has his sights set on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

"I always hold my Venezuela in the highest regard… I have this faith and this strength that, in the name of God, we will make a great showing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games and go for that gold medal," Mayora said.